BUN test cost in Athens, GA
In Athens-Clarke County, GA, 2 hospitals list a cash price for blood urea nitrogen (BUN) test: from $16.25 to $28.86, with a median of $22.56. The lowest listed price is at St Mary's Hospital — $6.31 less than the median here. Across Georgia, the median is $30.03 at 88 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities for code 84520, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 29, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jan 1, 2025 and Jul 1, 2026.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Athens-Clarke County, GA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Mary's Hospital lowest Athens, GA · (706) 389-3000 HC UREA NITROGEN | $16.25 | $25.00 | $3.95–$6.91 | 35% | Jan 1, 2025 source file |
| St Mary's Hospital lowest Athens, GA · (706) 389-3000 HC UREA NITROGEN PRE-DIALYSIS | $16.25 | $25.00 | $3.95–$6.91 | 35% | Jan 1, 2025 source file |
| Piedmont Athens Regional Athens, GA · (706) 475-7000 HC Bun | $28.86 | $96.20 | $0.01–$78.88 | 70% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| Piedmont Athens Regional Athens, GA · (706) 475-7000 HC Bun POC | $30.30 | $101.00 | $0.01–$82.82 | 70% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $16.25, median $22.56, highest $28.86 — a 1.8× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 1 facility here, median $28.86. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
Cash or insurance?
At 1 of 2 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at none is it below every plan's rate. If you have insurance but have not met your deductible, you usually pay your plan's negotiated rate, which falls somewhere in the "Insurers pay" column. Paying cash can cost less, but a cash payment usually does not count toward your deductible. Ask the hospital for both numbers before you book.
What it is
A BUN test measures urea nitrogen, a waste product removed by the kidneys. It is used with creatinine to check kidney function and hydration.
What the price covers
The price usually covers running the test. The blood draw (36415) is often billed as a separate line.